New Hampshire Republican resigns as investigators conclude he doesn't live in his district

Coös County, New Hampshire state Rep. Troy Merner has resigned from both his representative position and his position on the Lancaster Board of Selectmen, after a monthslong investigation by authorities concluded that he doesn't live in the district he represents, reportedThe Boston Globe this week.

Merner, a four-term Republican in a safely red district, "has been renting an office in Lancaster, but he has been residing with his wife and stepson about 15 miles south, in Carroll, which is part of a different legislative district in Coos County, according to the letter," reported Steven Porter.

District requirements vary by state — indeed, members of Congress don't have to live in their district — but in New Hampshire, members of the state House are strictly required to live in the district they represent.

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In addition to the residency violation, Merner may have also improperly claimed taxpayer money, Porter continued: "Even though Merner has known for months that the attorney general’s office is investigating this matter, he has continued to act as a state representative and collect mileage reimbursement based on the distance between Concord and his former domicile in Lancaster rather than his current address in Carroll, a difference of about 31 miles per roundtrip, [Election Law Unit prosecutor Matthew] Conley wrote."

A Democratic lawmaker, William Hatch, has also resigned from the New Hampshire House this week; it appears to be unrelated.

New Hampshire has the largest lower legislative chamber of any state, with 400 representatatives in 204 districts, each representing just a few thousand people.

In 2020, after retaking control of the chamber, Republicans drew a gerrymander designed to protect their majority; however, they actually ended up losing seats in the 2022 midterms. A series of special election losses, most recently an upset Democratic victory over a Trump-supporting election denier this week, has shrunk the Republican majority, leaving them with 198 seats to Democrats' 197. If all outstanding special elections break as expected, the chamber will now become perfectly tied.